Lupita Nyongo’s film In My Genes has not only caused a splash in film circles, it has also made it an impact in parliament. For the first time in the history of Kenya, a petition on Albinism rights was presented to the House, on Thursday August 6. This petition was tabled by Eugene Wamalwa MP and was brought to the House through the Albinism Society of Kenya and Lupita.
It asked the government to:
a) Include a special count of people with albinism in the up-coming census later this month
b) Amend the existing Disablilities Act or introduce a new special act to explicitly cater for the legislative needs of people with albinism.
c) Waive the duty on sunscreen for people with albinism
The petition was extremely well received and got the vigorous verbal support of more than five members of parliament including Hon. Joe Nyagah. The requests of the petition have been put in the hands of the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional affairs. The Committee for Equal Opportunities have also committed to following up on the action to be taken. Lupita’s film was recommended for all members of parliament to watch as a way to better understand the urgency of the matters at hand!
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